Brown bears at Brooks Falls Katmai National Park. Photograped by Brocken Inaglory in July of 1998

Good morning, beloved,

Sunday, the Lord”s day, a day of rest, a day of peace, or supposedly such, we forget what God‘s original design. We forget He designed us to work for six days and on the seventh, we rest. I am grateful, grateful for God’s design. It is flawless, it is beautiful and to this daughter, necessary.

However, can I just get some agreement here? Even if I cut out everything outside of our home on Sunday afternoons, things still creep in. Even if our goal is rest, the house still needs to be picked up. Dishes still need to be done. We have to start packing, as our floors will be torn up soon. We are painting a bathroom. Time to spend with the family that can be fun. So my quiet is now, before I open my email, read my messages on Facebook, and today, remember, Your will be done, Lord, on earth as it is in heaven.

Your will- from Blue Letter Bible’s Lexicon:

1) what one wishes or has determined shall be done

a) of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ

b) of what God wishes to be done by us

1) commands, precepts

2) will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure

Oh, we must see this word, thelēma, in action in other parts of the Word. Come with me, and let’s dive in.

Matthew 7: ²¹ “Not all those who say [^Lto me] ·‘You are our Lord’ [^L‘Lord! Lord!’] will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do ·what my Father in heaven wants [the will of my Father in heaven].

So, the first thing to remember about God’s will, those who do what the Father wants will enter the kingdom. That word only interests me but as my family likes to call it..this becomes a rabbit trail.

Matthew 12: ⁵⁰ My true brother and sister and mother are those who do ·what my Father in heaven wants [the will of my Father in heaven].”

Jesus calls His family those who do the will of His Father in heaven. We are His family! What a blessed thought.

Matthew 26:4² Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for ·this painful thing [^Lthis thing; ^Cthe cup of suffering; v. 39] to be taken from me, and if I must ·do [drink] it, ·I pray that what you want [^Lmay your] will be done.”

Jesus, twice asked the Father, to be taken from the cup of suffering, and yet, Jesus, of course, did take the cup, asking the Father for His will be done. Whatever we face today, we face it with the knowledge, that  the One who drank from this horrible cup, can give us the strength to cope with it .

Psalm 40:⁸ My God, I ·want [delight; take pleasure] to do ·what you want [your pleasure].

    Your ·teachings [instructions; laws] are in my heart.”

⁹ I will tell ·about your goodness [the good news] in the great ·meeting of your people[assembly].
Lord, you know ·my lips are not silent [^LI have not restrained my lips].

May this be our prayer today. Our desire to take delight in doing His pleasure. To hold to His teachings in our hearts and proclaim the good news.

Romans 12:² Do not be ·shaped by [conformed to; pressed into a mold by] this ·world [age]; instead be ·changed within [transformed] by ·a new way of thinking [orchanging the way you think; ^Lthe renewing of your mind]. Then you will be able to ·decide [discern; test and approve] what ·God wants for you [is God’s will]; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.

This culture, this world we live in has a powerful hold and strength. As Paul says, this mold of this age kills. The world holds nothing but death. Instead, let us be changed, transformed into a new way to think. Asking the Lord, with Your teachings, instructions in my heart; with the example of Christ; with knowing we are family then please, change us. Transform us. We want to know Your will. We want transformation. Lord, we seek You to know what is good, what is pleasing and what is perfect.

Oh, I could go on with this one. Join me again tomorrow, when I work through more of the Word of God with this one phrase: Will of God.

My thankfuls today:

257. Laughter, what a precious gift, to laugh.

258. A new day, provisions, hope.

259. Watching our son play basketball with a smile on his face.

Pray on. Pray on.

Related articles

• Teach me to Pray (jdumois01.wordpress.com)
• Pray Like This…. [7] (matreames.wordpress.com)

 

Fill

Liverpool Waterfront at Sunrise – Dave Wood, Liverpool Pictorial

God, my heart is ·steady [steadfast; ready].
I will sing and ·praise [play a psalm for] you ·with all my being [^Las will my soul/or glory].
² Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.
³ Lord, I will ·praise [thank] you among the ·nations [peoples];
I will sing ·songs of praise [psalms] about you to all the nations.
⁴ Your great ·love [loyalty] ·reaches to [is greater than] the ·skies [heavens],
your ·truth [faithfulness] to the heavens.
⁵ God, you are ·supreme [exalted] above the ·skies [heavens].
Let your glory [^Cmanifest presence] be over all the earth [57:5–11]. Psalm 108 EXB

Awake ! One of the stanzas of A Morning Prayer by Thomas Ken stands out to me today.

Lord, I my vows to thee renew; disperse my sins as morning dew; guard my first springs of thought and will, and with thyself my spirit fill.

Fill.

⁷ [^LBut] We have this treasure ·from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure [^Lin clay jars]. This shows that the ·great [extraordinary; transcendent] power is from God, not from us. ⁸ We have ·troubles all around us [or all kinds of troubles/trials], but we are not ·defeated [crushed]. We ·do not know what to do [are perplexed/bewildered], but we do not ·give up the hope of living[despair]. 2 Corinthians 4 EXB

We cry out to be filled. And so much can fill us, but today? Today, let us choose to be filled with His Spirit.

Let us give thanks.

I will praise (thank) You!

Hang on to your hearts. I realized that my last two blog posts didn’t have my thankfuls..

249. A son captured by a book

250. A son worshipping upstairs

251. A daughter and son sleeping peacefully

252. My mom finishing my laundry

253. My dad being here, listening

254. Community in the church

255. Solutions

256. Good talks with family

257. Playing games last night

Fill, Lord, Fill us with You.

Pray on. Pray on.

 

Related articles

• Sing! Psalm 100 (klandryblog.wordpress.com)
• Psalm 8 (oh-mag.com)
• Worship Practice Starts Now: Psalms 150 (psalmslife.com)
• Back to the Heart of Worship (jsubers.wordpress.com)

 

Pause

Psalm 103: 103 ·All that I am [^TO my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord;

Vasco da Gama Bridge, Lisbon, Portugal Photo by F Mira

·everything in me [^Lall my inward parts], ·praise [bless] his holy name.
² ·My whole being [^TO my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord
and do not forget all his ·kindnesses [gifts; benefits].
³ He forgives all ·my [or your] ·sins [iniquity]
and heals all ·my [or your] ·diseases [ills].
⁴ He ·saves [redeems] ·my [or your] life from the ·grave [^Lpit]
and ·loads [or crowns] ·me [or you] with ·love [loyalty] and ·mercy [compassion].

⁵ He satisfies ·me [or you] with good things [^Las long as you live; or according to your desires]
and ·makes me young again [^Lrenews your youth], like the eagle [Is. 40:31].

Praise. Bless. (3x repeat in 2 verses) What part of me is involved in worship?

All that I am. My soul.

Everything in me.

All my inward parts.

My whole being.

I wonder what that looks like. Hmmm….

2 Samuel 6: ¹⁴ Then David danced with all his might before the Lord. He had on a holy linen ·vest [ephod; Ex. 28:6–14]. ¹⁵ David and all the Israelite shouted with joy and blew the ·trumpets [ram’s horns] as they brought the Ark of the Lord to the city.

I wonder how often we worry more about what other people think about our worship than what our God thinks of our hearts in worship. If we were to worship God with everything in us, what would that look like?

Colours of Happiness Photo by Camdiluv

Forget NOT His benefits…

His kindness.

His gifts.

Verbs found in these five verses:

Forgives- The primary idea here is a lightness, a lifting up. To be merciful, to pardon, to shew oneself to be gentle.  And how much does He forgive? all. Isn’t that a lovely word? All. Not some. Not a little. Not most. ALL.

Heals- All. Totality. Encompassing every disease.

Saves

Redeems- On this weekend, especially, these two words are everything to me. Jesus paid the price to cover my sin. Your sin. Forever. It is a debt we could never cover. It is freedom. It is our deliverance.

Loads

Crowns- Surrounds for protection

Satisfies

Makes

These are all gifts from our God. Ponder that. Hold on to this in the dark moments. When it seems there are no answers. Our Answer crowns! He will satisfy.  So that? Our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. We are made young again.

I watch my children ride their bikes. All day. Seriously. I cannot imagine riding my bike all day. Running all day. They constantly are in motion.

There is a lightness to their childhood. Their worries are small. Their joys are HUGE. Their cares are light.

They run with energy for they have a child’s load of woes. They are not weighed down by financial concerns. They do not ache with the worries and concerns that adulthood brings. Do you ever notice when a person is depressed their entire countenance droops? They appear to be laden with packages and bags.

However, if we allow the Lord to crown us, satisfy us and make us, could we begin to run like youths? Dance like David?

As I sat in this waiting room yesterday, the entire room was filled with people drooped by cares. I can’t say I was much different. A couple sat with a chair between them waiting for their son. A woman played games on her phone, her face creased with concern. A blind man came in with his daughter carrying all sorts of papers stuck in different directions. The receptionists were downtrodden. They answered the phones with a near disdain. Yet a couple came in, the news, I could tell, was not fantastic. However, they smiled. They had joy.

Now that gave me pause. How do I react as the cares of the world threaten to overwhelm? Oh, I cannot say that yesterday there was much joy. I forget.

I forget that our blessings far outweigh the cares in our life.

They always do.

So I begin my day. I begin with…

246. Thankful for friends who sit and carry.

247. Thankful for phone calls at just the right time.

248. Thankful for a new day.

Pray on. Pray on.

 

Mud pits

Passion week has kinda crept up on me. If I still my soul, if I stay calm, I know that there is so much more to this life than I am allowing. This idea that I love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength leaves little room for fear, doubt and worry in me. I sit here wondering what if, what if it is that simple and I have made it so much more. I cling to worry about my husband’s job, our car falling apart, our children, how people view me and all of a sudden I’ve crowded out every image of the Lord in my life. I am just rolling through each emotion.

James 1 puts it in a new light for me:

¹² ·When people are tempted and still continue strong, they should be happy [^LBlessed is the one who perseveres endures trials/temptations]. After they have ·proved their faith[stood/endured/passed the test], ·God will reward them with life forever [^Lthey will receive the crown of life; ^Calludes to the laurel crown given for a victory]. ·God [^LHe] promised this to all those who love him. ¹³ When people are ·tempted [undergoing a trial], they should not say, “God is tempting me.”[^LFor] God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself does not tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But ·people are[^Leach person is] tempted when their own evil desire ·leads [lures; drags] them away and ·traps[entices; lures] them. ¹⁵ ·This desire leads to sin [^LThen, after desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin], and then the sin ·grows [or becomes full-grown] and ·brings [gives birth to] death.

Today is an open slate, my friends. Today is the day He has made and He asks us to come and rejoice in it. Be glad. I can be paralyzed or I can extend my hand to joy. We are promised nothing about material success, however if we remain strong during the storms and trials, we can be happy, be blessed. Am I reading that right?

I get so focused on now. Or the future. Ugh! One day I’m going to stand before my Savior and see how all the pieces of my life fit together. Do we understand that these emotions of fear, worry and doubt are sin? I keep getting this image in my mind of me playing in a pit of mud (my worries, my fears and my doubts) and the Lord is extending His clean, beautiful hand to me saying, “Come out, come here, come clean” and I keep splashing in the mud because I can’t let go of fear. And I can’t, you can’t. We cannot do this on our own.

I waited patiently for the Lord.
He ·turned [bent down; inclined; stooped] to me and heard my cry.
² He ·lifted [drew] me out of the pit of ·destruction [or desolation],
out of the ·sticky mud [miry/muddy pit/bog/swamp].
He ·stood me [^Lplaced my feet] on a rock
and made my ·feet [^Lstep] steady.
³ He put a new song [^Ccelebrating victory; 33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10; Rev. 5:9;14:3] in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God. Psalm 40 EXB

Get out of that pit, Cara! Allow Him to lift us out of the pit. Allow Him to put our feet on a rock. Give Him a chance to make our feet steady. (Not in our circumstances, or status, or anything else but Him) I’ve heard it said that God is a gentleman. He will not push Himself in. I like that. God wants to put new songs in my mouth, your mouth. Sing for joy. He puts new songs in my mouth. Your mouth. Celebrate the victories! Ever notice how this Psalm has the writer waiting patiently? Friends, He is here now. He is just waiting to be asked in. He hears our cries. He responds and now we respond back. Do we just cycle through the worries in our prayers or have our prayers become an opportunity to praise Him?

³ Sing a new song [^Ccelebrating victory; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10; Rev. 5:9;14:3] to him;
play well ·and joyfully [with a loud/a victory shout].
⁴ God’s word is ·true [upright; virtuous],
and everything he does is ·right [faithful].
⁵ He loves what is right and ·fair [just];
the Lord’s ·love [loyalty; covenant love] fills the earth. Psalm 33 EXB

Friends, in the midst of our trials, songs of truth and praise can fill our mouths. Rather than sadness and worry lines filling our faces, allow His truths to smooth the lines. So as I begin my day, I ask the Holy Spirit to fill me. I ask that His word come alive in me, my words to my children, to my husband. Jesus has the victory! He has won over sin and death and here we are wringing our hands with our circumstances. Mercy, I have a chance to bring Him glory today! I have a chance to stand on the rock and invite those around me to be lifted up. Join in singing the anthem of the Lord’s renown!

The earth is filled with His glory. Filled. Seriously!

So, as it is Holy Week starting tomorrow, I want to focus my blog on Him. Not my circumstances, but His glory, His revelation in the power of Jesus Christ. So, want to join me? Pray with me.

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,
To pay thy morning sacrifice.

Thy precious time misspent, redeem,
Each present day thy last esteem,
Improve thy talent with due care;
For the great day thyself prepare.

By influence of the Light divine
Let thy own light to others shine.
Reflect all Heaven’s propitious ways
In ardent love, and cheerful praise.

In conversation be sincere;
Keep conscience as the noontide clear;
Think how all seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.

Wake, and lift up thyself, my heart,
And with the angels bear thy part,
Who all night long unwearied sing
High praise to the eternal King.

All praise to Thee, who safe has kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake
I may of endless light partake.

Heav’n is, dear Lord, where’er Thou art,
O never then from me depart;
For to my soul ’tis hell to be
But for one moment void of Thee.

Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew.
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with Thyself my spirit fill.

Direct, control, suggest, this day,
All I design, or do, or say,
That all my powers, with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite.

I would not wake nor rise again
And Heaven itself I would disdain,
Wert Thou not there to be enjoyed,
And I in hymns to be employed.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Let’s do this day, friends, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Pray on.  Oh wait! My thankfuls!

233. God’s wisdom revealed in the Scriptures speaking life this morning.

234. Thankful for a day with my kids, as I pray for these precious kids with cancer that kills the body, I pray for these families. Moms and Dads who cling to the now with their precious babes.

235. Thankful for a dog who just makes me smile.

Pray on! Pray on!

Related articles

• Bonhoeffer’s Confirmation Sermon (tbolto.wordpress.com)
• Psalm 91- The Lord protects me (prepareforthelamb.wordpress.com)
• Through the Psalm / CH1:1-3 (cfcspn.com)
• All Your Needs Are Met!, Pastor Boaz Olang (magnifyhisword.wordpress.com)

 

How great a debtor!

In Nockamixon State Park, which is five miles east of Quakertown and nine miles west of Doylestown in PA. Photo by gailf548

Good morning, beloved,

Ever notice how when life is quiet, peaceful, everyone is healthy, money in the bank, how easy it is to come to rely on this? Slowly but surely we can remove our trust in God and put our trust in these very temporal circumstances. The picture of this tree is such good reminder to me. This tree is quite alive, healthy, roots firmly established by the water.  Can you imagine this tree picking up it’s roots and saying, “I don’t like the water. I’m good on my own.” ? Of course not.  This tree relies heavily on the water in good times. And in bad.  However, when the waters stir, when the downpours come, when health issues arrive that are not solved, when  money is NOT in the bank, we look up to heaven and begin to panic.

Or not. When downpour after downpour come on the Bruinius family, I have to be honest I get overwhelmed. I can type it all out, make a good story for our family but yet I am finding as I type it out, I begin to find reason to be upset with God.  Yet, within the span of a day, such good, such stress poured down on our family. As I watched the emails come, as I listened on the phone to another issue, I had to just keep saying…

My friends, you have so many choices in your day, choices for life, for joy.   I know I can resonate with Robert Robinson’s hymn..

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.  Robert Robinson

So, join me this day.

Make known your declarations to God.  Lift up your debtor’s heart. Don’t forget to keep worship. Refuse the whispers of Satan.

⁷ “But the person who ·trusts [has confidence] in the Lord will be blessed.
·The Lord will show him that he can be trusted [^L…whose trust/confidence is in him].
⁸ He will be like a tree planted near water [^Cvital and strong]
that sends its roots by a stream [Ps. 1:3].
It is not afraid when the ·days are hot [^Lheat comes];
its leaves are always green.
It ·does not worry [is not anxious] in a year ·when no rain comes [of drought];
it always produces fruit. Jeremiah 17 EXB

Trust. The Lord HAS shown Himself so faithful. I want to be that tree at the top of my post.  Vibrant, strong, trusting in my God to provide for each and every need we have. He is so faithful.

Three gifts, salty, sweet and just right

(Ann Voskamp)

227. Tears of my children that with comfort and reminders of  joy a smile can be found..

228. My Ella girl finishing her AWANA book..so proud.

229. Chocolate pudding that was all mine from start to finish.

Please continue to pray for Micah Ahern. His parents are sitting in a hospital holding their breath, wondering if the cancer truly has returned.

Prayers for our Pastors and their wives:

Day 21 Pray that your pastor and his wife will not give in to discouragement, but will deal with inevitable criticism and conflict by committing themselves  into the hands of God, who judges righteously. (1Pet. 2:23) (ROH)

Pray on. Pray on.

 

Make ‘em laugh

Panoramic View of the Palace and Gardens of Versailles Painting by John Vanderlyn (1775–1852)

Good morning, beloved,

¹⁴ I have given them your ·teaching [word]. And the world has hated them, because they don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. ¹⁵ I am not asking you to take them out of the world but to ·keep them safe [protect them] from the ·Evil One [or evil; ^Cthe Evil One is the Devil]. ¹⁶ They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. ¹⁷ ·Make them ready for your service[Sanctify them; Consecrate them; ^Csetting them apart for service] through your truth; your ·teaching[word] is truth. ¹⁸ I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. John 17 EXB

Each day we, as partakers of the word, have a beautiful opportunity to remember He is making us ready for His service. We are being set apart for service to the King. How do we keep in the sanctification process? Oh friends, to me this is where it gets tricky, as I have written before, my brain is much like a train wreck and I’m already piling up, off the track. Then my brain remembers! His Word! His Word sets us apart, for His Word is always the truth.

We have been sent into this world, so when we walk around mopey, depressed, weak, that sent process is, um, a little rocky.  I was given these words today. I know them backwards and forwards:

⁵ Trust the Lord with all your heart,
and don’t ·depend [rely] on your own understanding.
⁶ ·Remember the Lord [^LKnow him] ·in all you do [^Lon all your paths],

and he will ·give you success [^Lkeep your roads straight]. Proverbs 3 EXB

And a quote from Pastor Chuck Smith:

“If through faith you have placed your eternal destiny in the loving hands of Jesus Christ, you can be sure that God is at work, shaping the events and circumstances of your life into a beautiful mosaic that will reveal His Son to the men and women around you. His hand is on you, as it has been since before you were born.” Chuck Smith fr Okie Preacher blog 

So I remember my blessings, my thankfuls today:

223. Playing Wii last night, Luke advised Ella she was getting the stuffing knocked out of her. Ella’s response, I am getting the stuffing knocked out of me!

224. While getting my injections, the man who usually does my I.V. came in and told me he saved me. ?? They have a new person starting that wanted to try an I.V.  I blessed him, his children and his children’s children. Is it good they remember me?

225. While in the waiting room, a husband was told to meet his wife on the first floor with the car. He jumped up and ran out the door. There was a feminine coat sitting by where he WAS sitting. An older lady and I looked at each other,  smiled and went back to our reading. 5 minutes later he dashed back into the room and grabbed the coat. We had to laugh.

226. Star left me a gift by the T.V. A dead mouse, she was so proud. We had to laugh after the gag reflex and grocery bag with said mouse were disposed. She looked so proud of her gift.

So when YOU give thanks, what are some thankfuls that have made you laugh lately? (Ann Voskamp)

Will you join me in praying for Micah Ahern and Richard? Both children have cancer. Pray for their Mommies and Daddies today.

Pray for your Pastor and his wife:

Pray for a fresh divine anointing on your pastor and his wife’s ministry. Pray that God’s working will be powerfully evident both in their personal life and the spiritual life of the congregation. (1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Tim. 1:7; Rom. 15:18-19a)

Pray on. Pray on.

 

Worship

Šmarjetna gora, view towards Škofja Loka, Slovenia. Photo by Mihael Grmek

Good morning, beloved,

I took a walk the other day, alone. Nothing too spectacular about this, other than as I was praying out loud, I was led to sing. So I began to sing, at first, self consciously. Then I began to sing from my soul, instead of my brain. As we (Starburst and I) turned the corner, I heard some birds singing along with me. I stopped to listen to them. And they stopped. So I began and so did these little treasures. I stopped. They stopped. And I was reminded, all the earth will sing Your praises. Some of the earth decided to join my worship.

I need to keep singing. I desire my mind to settle on Him, to bring my harried soul to rest upon Him. Can we do it? Rather than allow my prayers to be about me, worshiping first. Worshiping last.

So I begin today with thanks and praise. I have to, I have to put my mind on Him.

³ He put a new song [^Ccelebrating victory; 33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10; Rev. 5:9;14:3] in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many people will see this and ·worship [fear] him.
Then they will ·trust [find refuge in] the Lord.

⁴ ·Happy [Blessed] is the person
who ·trusts [finds refuge in] the Lord,
who doesn’t turn to those who are proud
or to those who ·worship [go astray to] ·false gods [^La lie].
⁵ Lord my God, you have done many ·miracles [wonders; great acts].
Your plans for us are many.
If I tried to tell them all,
there would be too many to count [104:24; 139:17–18; John 21:25]. Psalm 40 EXB

Trust. Refuge. Worship.

Full rainbow taken in Clacton-On-Sea in Essex UK Photo by Danesman1

I see this rainbow and see God’s grace over our land. Undeserved, yet given.

My thankfuls today:

217. Thankful for God’s grace as my symptoms are returning.

218. Thankful for beautiful sunrises.

219. Thankful for groceries being delivered.

Pray for your Pastor and his wife…today I”m praying for strength in the day today, for His Spirit to fill these two precious people, for God’s blessing upon this family.

Pray on. Pray on. And worship. Worship Him!

 

 

 

Awake

Dawn at Swifts Creek. Photo by Fir0002/Flagstaffotos

Good morning, beloved,

How do you understand a peaceful, quiet, restful day when the day earlier was the antithesis? Grateful. I begin thinking what did I do differently? Questioning. Not sure, wondering. So I begin with…

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
thy daily stage of duty run;
shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
to pay thy morning sacrifice.

Lord, I my vows to thee renew;
disperse my sins as morning dew;
guard my first springs of thought and will,
and with thyself my spirit fill.

Five Vows for Spiritual Power by A.W. Tozer ( Powerful..please take some time)

Direct, control, suggest, this day,
all I design or do or say;
that all my powers, with all their might,
in thy sole glory may unite.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host:
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

To praise: 2 express one’s respect and gratitude towards (a deity), especially in song:we praise God for past blessings (Oxford Dictionary)

My thankfuls today (what are yours?)

211. For my parents coming and helping us.

212. For dear friends’ blessings.

213. For loaves (notice plural) of bread in the freezer.

For our Pastors and their wives:

Ask God to protect your pastor from the evil plots of Satan. Pray that he will not be corrupted as he rubs shoulders with the world in the course of ministry. (John 17:15; Is. 54:17; 2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Pet. 3:12; Ps. 9:9-10, 91:9-11) (Revive Our Hearts)

Pray on. Pray on.

Related articles

• Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (conmakhalira.wordpress.com)
• 7 Hebrew Words For Praise: “Zamar” (christlikeministriesnwa.wordpress.com)
• Now is the moment for worship (truthorshame.com)
• Prayer Points from the 2013 March Special RCCG Holy Ghost Service: “Accelerated Promotion By Pastor E. A. Adeboye. (bummyla.wordpress.com)

 

A lighthouse on the islet of Keri, Estonia. Photo by Andrus Uuetalu

Good morning, beloved,

I was reminded of two prayers yesterday. After a day of much frustration and weeping with my children, grinding through a day that did not reflect all that He had shown me that morning. I sat numb after the kids went to AWANA. My children depend on routine and that was a fail yesterday. After shoveling, I thought it would be fun to make scones and try something new for breakfast. Fail.  It was not the routine. And we began a day of fighting and walls. Friends, it just was a pit day. I know you know what I mean.

I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
² He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps. Psalm 40 NKJV

Last night I was reminded. Do you remember me telling about Mike and Wendy Lambert? Well, they have been working hard to find people to support them so they can head to the mission field. They have been praying, hoping for God to open doors. And yesterday, God opened a door. Chris Fabry will be hosting them on his program today at 2pm CST! They will be given a chance to share their story. Will you join me in praying for them today? And the link on Chris Fabry will take you to his program today so you can listen either live or a recording. Join me won’t you?

God is always working. God is always fresh and moving and holy. Look at this first prayer with me.

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
thy daily stage of duty run;
shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
to pay thy morning sacrifice.

Lord, I my vows to thee renew;
disperse my sins as morning dew;
guard my first springs of thought and will,
and with thyself my spirit fill.

Direct, control, suggest, this day,
all I design or do or say;
that all my powers, with all their might,
in thy sole glory may unite.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host:
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Thomas Ken

Declaring over this day.  Awake my soul! I my vows to thee renew. Guard my first springs of though and will. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! You are the one to be glorified with this day. As I get into the nitty gritty of this day, I remember You are directing this day. I do not begin this day in my own strength.

I heard Chris Fabry’s conversation with John Eldridge last night. He said he has been praying a simple prayer as he walks into a conversation, or phone call, or work. Jesus in me, Jesus, help me with this _____.

Jesus is with us. Jesus is in us. Here is the other prayer:

Ransomed Heart

 

Christ with me, Christ before me,Christ behind me,Christ in me, Christ beneath me,Christ above me,Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,Christ when I stand,Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,Christ in every eye that sees me,Christ in every ear that hears me.

 

It is a good morning.

 

 

My thankfuls:

 

208. New mornings

 

209. Danny finishing his memorizing of the 10 commandments

 

210. For wide open doors

 

Prayers for your pastor and his wife:

 

Friends I am going to be praying that part of the Breastplate prayer! Christ with me, Christ before me,Christ behind me,Christ in me, Christ beneath me,Christ above me,Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,Christ when I stand,Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,Christ in every eye that sees me,Christ in every ear that hears me.

 

Thank You, Lord, for a new day! Pray on. Pray on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Second Severn Crossing carrying the M4 motorway across the River Severn between Severn Beach near Avonmouth in south west England and Caldicot in south Wales. This view, composed from 16 separate images, is looking west from the English side. The bridge has a total span of 5.1 km and includes a cable-stayed section called the Shoots Bridge which spans the shipping channel between the two towers. The River Severn has a vast tidal range – the point from which this photograph was taken would be covered at high tide. Photo by Yummifruitbat

Good morning, beloved,

Snow day! Beautiful, fluffy snow has covered our landscape. Yesterday was a fun day filled with school, playing outside, listening to our books and shockingly, I made bread. Ok, well, Joshua helped but it worked. I, of course, used a recipe. I am a recipe girl. I cannot seem to veer off the recipe more than just a smidge. We made it and it was good. Gluten free, dairy free bread smells filled our house.There is pleasure for me to have baking work for me.

I want that for my children. I want that we do this and this and this and they will pop out of the oven (well, ok, leave us to make their way in the world) as devoted followers of Christ. I read books, I listen to people farther along in the journey, I want reassurance. I realize what I’m doing. I’m living in our tomorrow when God has given us grace for this day. This moment. Today.

Lamentations 3:

²² The Lord’s ·love [loyalty] never ends;
his ·mercies [compassion] never stop.
²³ They are new every morning;
Lord, your ·loyalty [faithfulness] is ·great [abundant; Ps. 33:4; 92:2; 143:1].

²⁴ I say to myself, “The Lord is ·mine [^Lmy lot/portion],
so I hope in him.”

I cannot place my hope in a program. I cannot place my hope in a book I read and the formula there-within. Friend, where do we place our hope? The Lord.

Living in His love that never ends.

Daily LIfe Verse by
http://www.dailylifeverse.com/posts/2012/08/lamentations-3-22-23

His mercies that never stop.

His love, His mercy is new every morning.

His faithfulness, His loyalty is great. Abundant.

So, lets say to ourselves, the Lord is mine. (He’s yours too.)

Place not your hope in your circumstances. Do not allow yourself to wander in the fields of hopelessness. Come back into His mercies. His faithfulness. His loyalty. His hope.

Hearing In Christ Alone…reminding myself, I live in Christ. This is truly living. Not allowing Satan to be the whisper in my mind, but rather His word, His life. Join me today? Step on the snake today. (Ann Voskamp)

My thankfuls (what are yours?)

205. Thankful for worship. Taking my mind off me. Placing it on worship of God Almighty.

206. Thankful for the convictions of the Holy Spirit. Humbled.

207. No matter what the news says, the earth is filled with His glory. Praise God!

Prayers for your Pastor:

Read This: 
http://www.christianpost.com/news/the-most-dangerous-prayer-for-pastors-91135/

Pray on. Pray on.